About this project

What is this?

This is a full length feature documentary on one of the fastest growing groups in the fastest growing entertainment sector in the world: Gaming. For too long, gamers have been painted in a very specific light, and the mosaic of gamers has lacked the diversity of minorities, queers, women, and members of the LGBTQ and GSD communities.

This film is an attempt to take a closer look at the challenges and the growth of these communities in the gaming world.

Why?

As time passes and as technology rapidly changes, what once could only be housed in a huge arcade cabinet can now run as an application that can run on a slim gadget resting in your pocket. As video games become ubiquitous and an ever larger part of our culture, what used to be a hobby for only wealthy Silicon Valley types is now larger than the film, TV, and music industry in terms of growth and revenue. For something so huge, there's still a perception of just what a "gamer" is, and we want to show just how diverse that group truly is.

We want to take a drive down Rainbow Road and show you the queer side of gaming. The good, the bad, the FABULOUS!

But aren't video games really just for straight boys?

Lets face it. Games today are filled with macho gun toting protagonists and busty damsels in distress. For the most part, the market believes all gamers are cast from the same mold. Straight, white men in their twenties.

The gaming world is far more diverse than the media would have you think. To counter this, we'll be documenting the experiences of LGBT and women gamers / game developers to introduce perspectives you may not have seen before.

Why Kickstarter?

Our Kickstarter campaign ensures that our production scales with interest. Millions of fans comprise the gaming industry, but many of them remain unrepresented within the media they love. Our goal, to lend a voice to the the entire gaming community, is dependent upon your donations. The more donations we receive, the bigger the documentary can be. More big names, more wild stories, and bigger, better production!

But why not just privately fund this?

Gamers on the whole are a smarter, more involved group of people when it comes to their entertainment. Think about it; our entertainment IS interactive! Because of that, we wanted to make sure gamers were able to have a hand in the making of this documentary. By giving to our project you get to have a say in just how far we take this and you get to say that you took part in creating something interesting and new.

Where is this money going?

We realize that 125K seems like a lot of money, and it is, but to produce a high quality film that we can actually show in theaters and submit to film festivals, it requires hiring (and paying) a crew including lighting, directors, sound, and editing. We want this film to be amazing, and the team who we have lined up will not settle for not creating something that we can all be proud of.

What on earth is a "Gaymer"?

Put simply, it's a play on the words "gay" and "gamer." It is a name commonly used by members of the Reddit Gaymers community and it is the inspiration for the name of Gaymer X, the first ever LGBT gaming convention being held this August.

What do I get?

This is where the fun starts: as we meet our goals, prizes for backers will increase. We expect greatness, and will make sure our supporters get plenty of goodies to remind them of their part in this awesome project.

Site Credit: Your name on the GamingInColor.com website as a contributor to the kickstarter!

Film Credit: Your name in the end credits of the film itself!

Digital Download: A download of the film in high definition!

Game Bundle: A bundle of games by LGBTQ and women developers!

A DVD of the film! Nice and shiny.

Brand new original game by the amazing queer woman developer Anna Anthropy!

Poster! An awesome poster designed exclusively for the Kickstarter!

Shirt! An awesome shirt designed exclusively for the Kickstarter! (currently single color screen print)

A copy of Anna Anthropy's amazing book on game design "Rise of the Videogame Zinesters" with a personalized task list just for you! Most exiting homework EVER.

You'll get a 60 minute Google Hangout with some of the cast and crew during the filming process! Talk about being in the middle of the action!

We'll interview YOU: for those who paid this tier If you come to SF or LA, we will interview you and get your story!

Golden Ticket! Impatient? Just wanna tease your friends you saw it first? We'll hold a private screening of the film prior to release and you get to come!

Be our guest, be our guest~ We will fly you to the premier, and then have dinner with you, so that you can give us your reflections on the film! Can't say many films let you do that.

And Here is the goal map. As you hit goals, we will release more content for various prize levels! Keep posted!

Risks and challenges

While we feel the gaming community--all communities--can only stand to benefit from the celebration of diversity, we recognize there will be people against it. Our time meeting with LGBT figures in the game world has exposed us to stories ranging from mild harrassment to macabre horror stemming from heterosexism, misogyny, and the fear of difference. As a result, we recognize the certainty of obstacles ahead. But our story must be told.

FAQ

Definitely not. While we understand it's certainly possible to film yourself with your smartphone-- and there isn't anything wrong with making YouTube videos-- we want more.

This is a big story with lots of interesting, colorful characters that we feel deserves to see the light of day. We want this film to go far and in order to do that it has to be of professional quality. That means paying for lighting, sound, cameras, crew, travel. Many of the amazing people we plan on interviewing may require lodging, food, etc. The more we make means the more incredible individuals we get to cover in this story.

$125 reward

3 backers
Limited (197 left of 200)

Personalized version of Anna Anthropy's book "Rise of the Videogame Zinesters" + Limited Edition T-Shirt with custom art by Queer Gamer Artists + Limited Edition Poster + Original Game by Anna Anthropy! Kickstarter exclusive DVD set + Super HD (1080p) download of film + The "Gaming In Color: Queer Games Bundle" + Thanks on site + Thanks in Credits.

$500 reward

1 backer
Limited (2 left of 3)

We will interview you! - If you get to LA or SF we'll film you as part of the film! + T-Shirt + Kickstarter exclusive poster! + Original game + DVD set + Game bundle + Digital Download + Thanks in Credits + Thanks on site.

$10,000 reward

0 backers
Limited (2 left of 2)

We will fly you to L.A. for the private screening AND take you out for dinner! + T-Shirt + Kickstarter exclusive poster! + Original game + DVD set + Game bundle + Digital Download + Thanks in Credits + Thanks on site.

Estimated delivery:Feb 2014

Only ships to: United States

Funding period

Mar 6, 2013 - Apr 19, 2013
(43 days)

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